Huntsville gazette., 1887-02-05

| PidAA oA tHem- l WAS 50 ucllSHteus
that ran this way and that way just
like a child in toy shop, hardly know
ing what to begin upon first; when all
at once l caught sight of low arch
way on one side of the pit, as dark as
night and seemingly going right down
into the earth.
81 made up my mind at once that
this must lead into the main body OF
the building (whatever it might turn
out to be), and fought my way to il
through the bushes and briers, as if it
had been the mouth Of gold mine.
| But, as l soon found out, it was one
thing to get to it, and another to get
| through it. 1t was so choked with
rubbish, and oyergrown with creepers,
that it cost me good half hour hack
ing with my big knife before / could
make hole large enough to pass
through; and even then it was tight
squeeze, damaging my clothes. and my
| skin, too, much more than was at all
pleasant, l assure you. The place was
so dark after the blazing sunshine
(having no light except through the
archway and a narrow cleft in the roof,
that at first | could see nothing at all;
but presently | began to make out
row of huge upright blocks. like enor-
nous pillars, heaps of broken stones
and rubbish all around them Alto
gether, it seemed just the place that a
big snake might pick out to settle in.
and was thinking of retreating, and
getting men and torches before COM
pleting my explorations, when suddenly
l stumbled over pile Of loose stones,
and down they came with crash like
thunder.
''Ihe echo was something tremen-
dous, but after it came another sound
that i liked still less-a deep, hoarse
growl, which l knew at once for that
of a jaguar. Out of the darkness, at
the further end of the hall, rose two
greenish-yellow spots, and ] heard his
tail switch in way that knew to mean
mischief. There was nc hope of squeez-
ing back through the hole before lie
could reach me. My only chance was
to lead him dance among the ruins
and try to spin out the chase till Pedro
Diaz came up with his gun, as he was
sure to do sooner or later, for when
ever started anywhere by myself he
would follow my trail till he found me-
1t was some little comfort, too, to no.
tice that the jaguar (whom l could see
plainly enough, by this time) moved
stiffiy and heavily, as if he We're either
very old or sick in some way-which
was always one chance in my favor.
''And now began such a game of hide
and-seek as never played before nor
since. In and out of the ruins we went,
dodging about among crumbling
stones, and matted creepers, and huge
powders covered with damp moss l
dare say you wouldn't think, to look at
me now, that l could ever have been
very good at that sport; but when a
man is running for his life he can be
nimble enough, l promise you. The
chase had lasted some time, and l was
beginning to feel cold all over at the
thought of what must come when all at
once the light that fell through the cleft
overhead showed me a long wiry
creeper, hanging like a rope down one
of the biggest blocks.
''Once up there | should be safe; and
ran toward it as had never run be-
fore. Just then, by good luck, the
jaguar happened to stumble, and be-
fore he could recover himself Twas safe
on the top of the pillar, painting like a
hunted deer. The jaguar made two or
three leaps at me; but finding it no use,
he sat down to wait for something to
turn up, or rather to fall down.
$50 there was, seated in the heart
of an old-world museum, with pillar
for my professional chair, and a jaguar
for my class; but | didn't feel very
much like lecturing l assure you. Sud-
denly l happened to notice that the
pillar on which l was perched seemed
to have been connected with its next
neighbor by sort of arch; but of this
nothing was left now except one huge
stone, poised on the very edge of the
pillar, and so loose that could move it
easily with one hand.
This gave me an idea q dare say
you can guess what it was), and | at
once proceeded to carry it out. The
first thing to be done was to get the
jaguar bit nearer, for he was lying
about ten PAGES from the foot Of the
pillar, with his head between his fore
paws, seemingly intending to stay there
till he got me, if he waited for year.
So gathered a handful of small stones,
and began to pelt him vigorously. One
of them hit him in the face, and up he
sprang in a rage, growing viciously,
and leaping up against the side of the
pillar as high as he could go. This was
just what I wanted, and | leaned out
over the edge and shook the creeper as
if were coming down.
1.-The beast flew around to that side
to be ready for me; and directly got
L E.. .~1x Il I, l. L. r